WASHINGTON — A Donald Trump fan who was convicted on all counts after telling jurors that he thought he was “following presidential orders” when he stole a liquor bottle and a coat rack from the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was sentenced to a few years in federal jail on Friday.
Dustin Thompson, a college-educated Ohio man who testified that he believed Trump’s lies in regards to the 2020 election, was convicted on six costs in April after he instructed jurors he was searching for Trump’s “respect” and “approval” on Jan. 6. His prior legal professional argued that Trump “licensed” the assault on the Capitol, and took benefit of “weak” folks like his consumer.
“You did not love America that day,” Senior U.S. District Choose Reggie B. Walton instructed Thompson whereas sentencing him on Friday. Walton mentioned he did not perceive how “folks may be gullible sufficient to just accept a lie and act on that lie.”
Thompson was sentenced to 36 months in federal jail, and can get credit score for the roughly seven months he is served since he was convicted, which means he is nonetheless bought greater than two years to spend behind bars.
Thompson’s new lawyer said in a submitting forward of his sentencing that Thompson was working with “a person that makes a speciality of cult deprograming” and “was confronted with info in regards to the ‘stolen election’ conspiracy concept amongst others and the way psychological manipulation is used to indoctrinate the followers of a conspiracy.”
About 900 folks have been arrested as part of the sprawling investigation into the assault on the U.S. Capitol, with lots of extra arrests nonetheless within the works.
